A new analysis produced by the University of Illinois at Chicago's principal research economist, Steffen Mueller, found that giving Illinois consumers more access to cleaner fuel options, such as E15, would provide significant environmental benefits.
The Canadian government issued an emergency directive to railway companies to slow trains transporting dangerous goods. Companies must now slow their trains to a maximum of 40 miles per hour when traveling in highly urbanized areas.
The European Parliament voted April 28 to approve the 7 percent cap on first-generation biofuels, providing a degree of closure to the long-debated measure. European biofuel trade associations now want talks to focus on post-2020 policy.
Kum & Go has announced it will begin offering E15 as a fuel option. Over the next two years, the company plans to make E15 available at more than 65 stores across Iowa, Nebraska, Arkansas, Colorado, Missouri, Oklahoma, and South Dakota.
A recent Kansas State University study found that providing growing cattle with dried distillers grains (DDGS) plus salt on a self-feeding basis while the animals grazed native pastures helped boost average daily weight gain.
In a speech April 23 at Michigan State University, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack laid out a comprehensive approach to partner with agricultural producers to address the threat of climate change.
Aventine Renewable Energy Inc. has announced its first BNSF unit-train shipment of ethanol produced at its two ethanol facilities in Aurora, Nebraska. On April 19 Aventine's first unit train pulled out of Aurora heading to Birmingham, Alabama.
Bill Rep. Rod Blum, R-Iowa, recently introduced legislation in the house that includes a provision to extend the ethanol waiver for Reid vapor pressure (RVP) to ethanol blends with more than 10 percent ethanol.
In an analysis of a recent Iowa Department of Revenue motor fuel report, the Iowa Renewable Fuels Association has revealed that if E15 was widely available Iowa drivers could save more than $50 million per year in fuel costs.
A recent impact study by University of Nebraska-Lincoln economists reveals Nebraska's ethanol production capacity growth between 1995 and 2014 is tenfold. The study is titled "Economic Impacts of the Ethanol Industry in Nebraska."
Rep. Adrian Smith, R-Neb., recently introduced legislation that aims to expand the U.S. EPA's existing waiver for Reid vapor pressure to fuels blends containing more than 10 percent ethanol. If signed into law, the bill would expand E15 availability.
The U.S. Energy Information Administration has released its Annual Energy Outlook 2015, which presents updated projections for U.S. energy markets, through 2040 based on six different scenarios. The outlook includes ethanol forecasts.
Marketing ethanol goes deeper than just getting a station to sell E10, E15 or E85, writes Mike Bryan. He would like to see ethanol marketed as a high-quality, environmentally friendly fuel, sold only by quality stations.
Pearson Fuels and G&M Oil Co. are celebrating their latest partnership with the grand opening of California's newest E85 station at 499 Sandalwood Drive in Calimesa. There will be a ribbon-cutting celebration on April 15.
On April 14, the environment committee of the European Parliament voted 51-12 to endorse a deal struck by legislators earlier this year that aims to cap the use of first-generation biofuels and accelerate the shift to alternative sources.
E85Prices.com gives individuals a way to make a difference and further the use of higher-level ethanol blends, writes Bob Dinneen. That websites, and others, provide consumers and government with information about ethanol blends.
The U.K. Department of Energy and Climate Change has released provisional annual energy statistics for 2014, reporting that ethanol accounted for 4.6 percent of gasoline last year. Biodiesel accounted for 3.4 percent of total diesel.
The American Coalition for Ethanol is launching a new fuel retailer-focused campaign called Flex Forward in 2015. It is designed to reach marketers who have not yet responded to other industry efforts, Brian Jennings writes.
The RFS is important and worthy of support, writes David VanderGriend. However, it should not be viewed as what defines the value of biofuels, a value which can only be realized if the industry can get fuels into the market.
The U.S. EPA has posted a notice to its website announcing that the volume requirements for the 2014, 2015 and 2016 renewable fuel standard (RFS), along with the 2017 volume requirement for biomass-based diesel, will be finalized by Nov. 30.
On April 9, Ceres Inc. released financial results for the second quarter of 2015, reporting growing conditions in Brazil have been generally favorable for its sweet-sorghum collaboration with Raizen across most multi-hybrid field evaluation sites.
The Surface Transportation Board has rescheduled a meeting of the Rail Energy Transportation Advisory Committee. The event, originally scheduled for March 5, was cancelled due to inclement weather. The meeting will now be held April 14.
Biobased industry, agriculture, and environmental interests recently reached agreement on legislation in Minnesota that would create production-based incentives for renewable chemicals, advanced biofuels and biomass thermal energy.
Iowa. Gov. Terry E. Branstad and Lt. Governor Kim Reynolds announced that they will lead trade missions to South Korea and Brazil respectively. Both trips are aimed at expanding trade and investment opportunities.
Fuel ethanol got a boost in Mexico recently when state-owned oil company, Pemex, awarded four 10-year purchase contracts for anhydrous ethanol. Pemex announced contracts for 123 million liters (32 million gallons) of domestically produced ethanol.
Nebraska ethanol producers continue to work with retailers across the state to provide fuel choice for consumers. The most recent of these ethanol producers is Husker Ag LLC, which has provided infrastructure grants to eight retail locations.
On April 6, the National Transportation Safety Board issued four recommendations to the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration calling for more stringent safety requirements for rail cars transporting flammable liquids.
Market conditions in mid-March showed ethanol producers could pay about 10 percent more than the current cash corn price before reaching the plant "shut-down level," according to an analysis by retired Iowa State University economist Robert Wisner.
The job of a journalist includes constant learning. If I ever get to the point where I feel like I have learned all I need to know about the ethanol industry, it will be time to hang up my hat and do something else.
Third Way has released a report highlighting the connection between first- and second-generation ethanol and the need for continued implementation of the renewable fuels standard (RFS).
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